Erica Enders’ drive for a fifth NHRA Pro Stock world championship took another step closer Saturday at the Nevada Nationals.

Enders, who won world titles in 2014-15 and 2019-20, came into this weekend with a 165-point lead over her Elite Motorsports teammate Aaron Stanfield.

She gained some momentum by capturing the No. 1 qualifying position on Sunday, thanks to her 6.579-second time at 208.75 mph.

This is Enders’ 29th career No. 1 qualifying position and sixth this season.

“Hopefully we will take all the momentum into Sunday,” Enders said. “It has definitely been a fun run. This weekend our performance hasn’t been exactly stellar. I’m not saying that because I’m ungrateful of the No. 1 position, but we feel like we should have been making better runs. Aaron was low three of the four sessions and I was hopeful to get that one point that last session but either way to stay on the top for (Sunday) is pretty awesome. I’m excited for raceday.”

Enders has been at her best in Vegas – winning at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway eight times.

“Vegas has always been great to us, but they are nipping at our heels, so we have to go to work,” Enders said. “All of these young guns have pushed me. We have been pretty awesome at the tree for the last few years and having an influx of kids come in and they take shots at it are double 0 and they are doing a great job. You have to obviously rise to the occasion as much as can, but being able to help Aaron, TJ (Coughlin) and Cuadra brothers and having Bo (Butner) over there is pretty awesome as well. I feel like we all make each other better. But that first started with Jeg Coughlin as my teammate. As a kid, I was a fan and coming into Pro Stock, he was the first guy who I called when I got hired to drive. He has been that icon for me and just a really awesome driver. It is definitely a tight-knit group over there (at Elite Motorsports) and it is cool to have all these really talented drivers to bounce things off.”

With her fifth world crown within reach, Enders is trying to keep things in perspective.

“You put your head down and go to work and try not let what is on the horizon cloud what is right in front of you,” Enders said. “You have to take the steps necessary to get there, but what a great position in, having the lead we have. It is obviously not even close to over yet. I heard a couple of different situations that have to happen, and I’m like don’t talk to me I don’t want to. Think about it. We just have to go to work (Sunday). It is going to be obviously very challenging and if we get by first round with the Melling Performance car I think we have a monster match-up between the winner of Greg Anderson and Dallas Glenn. There is not an easy round, but the majority of wins we have been fortunate to get have come at the top of the game. There has not been a lot of easy.”

And Enders is ready for the challenge.

“We are going to have to fight for it and I’m excited and ready to go,” Enders said. “I just want to do a good job. It is a great position to be in and it comes with a lot of pressure and if you haven’t been in this situation before it is extremely hard to explain. Whether you are leading by 160-something or coming from behind trying to win by one point in 2014, the mentality is the same. The feeling in your gut is the same. You could puke on the way to the staging lanes but somehow when you hit the starter button everything goes away, and you just go to work.

“I’m hopeful for it to happen (Sunday) and either way I’m super proud of the season we have had. I have one more personal goal and that is to win 10 races (on the year). We have two races to get that done in. If it happens great, if it doesn’t whatever, but the eyes are on the big prize. I would definitely like to clinch it here (in Vegas) if we can. There’s a plan that is bigger than all of ours and I have to remember that. We will just play the cards how they are dealt and see how (Sunday) goes.”